Trouble with engine oil priming
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2025
Posts: 1,723
Likes: 599
Genuine GM/Chevy fits best; my priming tool is an old modified Chevy points dist. It fits-seals as it should.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2025
Posts: 1,723
Likes: 599
In the Dart SHP SBC engine, the oiling system feeds the lifters from the front of the block to the back. This means that the rear lifters—those at cylinders #7 & #8—are the last in line to receive oil during priming. This is the opposite from an OEM SBC where #1 & #2 lifters are fed last.
Anyways, I only had time to:
- swap the #8 lifters with ones from the driver side.
- orient the 16 lifters so that their little oil feeding hole is pointing to the front of the engine, where the pressured oil comes from (I don't know if this makes a difference or not).
- reinstall the spider retainer with blue loctite.
- order the ARP 130-8802 Oil Pump Priming Shaft.
I will re-install the pushrods / rocker arms again and set the lash. Then, once the new tool has arrived, we'll see how things go.
Anyways, I only had time to:
- swap the #8 lifters with ones from the driver side.
- orient the 16 lifters so that their little oil feeding hole is pointing to the front of the engine, where the pressured oil comes from (I don't know if this makes a difference or not).
- reinstall the spider retainer with blue loctite.
- order the ARP 130-8802 Oil Pump Priming Shaft.
I will re-install the pushrods / rocker arms again and set the lash. Then, once the new tool has arrived, we'll see how things go.
Seems the SHP "front first" design does matter; particularly here and when attempting to troubleshoot. Seems it's in tandem w/ its "priority main" oiling.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 1,052
Likes: 389
From: Woodinville WA
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 1,052
Likes: 389
From: Woodinville WA
It's all good
Well x 3. After putting everything back together, I gave my original priming tool another try. And oh surprise, all 16 rocker arms started to seep oil! I could clearly see it come out of their little hole above the pushrod. I think it was user error from the start. This time I let the drill go for longer before rotating the crank a bit, and I believe that made the difference. I feel like I wasted your time. Sorry about that.
Intake manifold installation planned for tomorrow!
Intake manifold installation planned for tomorrow!
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2025
Posts: 1,723
Likes: 599
Well x 3. After putting everything back together, I gave my original priming tool another try. And oh surprise, all 16 rocker arms started to seep oil! I could clearly see it come out of their little hole above the pushrod. I think it was user error from the start. This time I let the drill go for longer before rotating the crank a bit, and I believe that made the difference. I feel like I wasted your time. Sorry about that.
Intake manifold installation planned for tomorrow!
Intake manifold installation planned for tomorrow!
and appreciate your frankness; too often in short supply
perhaps that rotation timing was key
not a waste; brain practice !
*** note there's another CF member at Woodinville, WA: newbvetteguy aka Adam. Are y'all acquainted yet?
Last edited by Rebelyell; Jul 27, 2025 at 03:49 PM.
